KOREANS CELEBRATE SPECIAL DAY OF THANKSGIVING

No turkey or stuffing will grace the table, but members of the Korean Methodist Church of South Florida will have prepared a sumptuous spread of traditional Korean food and invited their neighbors to share in the annual holiday called Chusok.

Observed by Koreans worldwide, Chusok is an autumn harvest and thanksgiving festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month - the month in which the eighth full moon occurs. The celebration dates back to the first century and this year falls on Sept. 29.

Families traditionally celebrate the holiday by making "moon cakes" - rice cakes made with nuts and fruits - and by playing games and exchanging gifts.

If Kay Stark of North Lauderdale were still living in Korea, she and her family would pay homage to their ancestors by visiting burial sites and leaving food on their relatives' graves.

Miles from their homeland, Stark and the members of the North Lauderdale church, which meets at the Village United Methodist Church, will be paying their respects by remembering their ancestors.

Starting with an 11 a.m. Christian service, the Korean church members will celebrate the day together.

They also will hold a daylong festival, with Korean dance, art and food to introduce Americans to Korean culture.